PLHS Scepter November 2014 by PLHS Scepter

Scepter The

And the Beat goes on...

Managing the Stress

Through hard work and some dynamic new music, the marching band had one of their finest seasons in years. (See page 26.)

A Big Commitment A Man Should Have Written This

NOVEMBER 2014

ISSUE 2 VOLUME 52

A Publication of Papillion-La Vista High School

www.plpulse.com

STAFF On the Cover:

Senior Scott Gibbins plays with the band during advisement on game day in October. PHOTO: LAURA KRAMER

HAPPENINGS 3 Twice the Advice

The Editors-In-Chief share their feelings on how to have the best high school experience. Managing the Stress

SPOTLIGHT

4-5

Many students find themselves in stressful situations when it comes to maintaining good grades in school while balancing out other aspects of high school life. However, there are ways in which the brutal stress can be managed.

6-7

Behind Closed Doors One student shares her story in hopes to bring light to other students.

Violence Is Not the Answer 8 At PLHS simple disagreements have grown into physical brawls.

SpOTTed on the Field

Freshman Clayton Ott shares his experiences being the only guy on color guard. Foster Care and Adoption... 10 Their only option Some children can’t be cared for, some have no family, and others aren’t wanted. Who cares for these children, and what happens to them?

Breaking Records, Breaking Legs

From playing to performing, students handle balancing their time between sports and fine arts. rubbing the pain away

12-13

Art students at PLHS take on the challenge of using their talents easing the pain for patients and their families. From the Wake 14 of War Sudanese seniors Doul Gatluak and Muoch Muon have come over to America from a land of constant turmoil.

ACTION 15

“Sorry, I have practice”

Student athletes reveal the difficulties they face with busy schedules.

A Big Commitment

Student athletes are looking to further their athletic careers by committing to play sports in college.

Non-stop

Athletes explain the difficulties they face when transitioning from a fall to a winter sport. Perfect Effort Season

18-19

Senior leaders guide their team to strive for nothing less than success.

A&E

Swinging into History

The girls golf team had a record breaking season ending in a runner up state finish.

PERSPECTIVE

What Clubs Do You Want?

Despite the many clubs, offered students still want more choices. It’s All in the Cards

To competitive card game players, it’s more than just a game.

Shopping Our Backyard

Papillion is home to small businesses that offer a new and different experience. Falling for fashion and food

24-25

With fall here, it is tough to decide what fashion and foods are best. Marching Toward New Heights Last year’s marching show can’t compare to what the band had for us this year.

Hairy Business

Students use unique hair styles and dye to make themselves stand out.

28-29

Live Learn, Read.

Fictional stories aid people in understanding the difficult world that surrounds them. A feud in the Feed

Conflict on Social media, especially Twitter, has been a rising trend among celebrities, politicians, and highschool students.

A feud in the Feed

Conflict on Social media, especially Twitter, has been a rising trend among celebrities, politicians, and highschool students.

A Man Should Have Written This

Seeking the answer to the question that most men avoid and some women are too afraid to ask: Why has social equality not yet been achieved?

ADVISER Mr. Joe Rohacik Editors-in-Chief: Ally Frazee & Emma Quast News Editor: John Nelson Assistant News Editor: Christa Rahl Sports Editor: Hannah Edelman Assistant Sports Editor: Kelley Ryan Features Editor: Claire Horner Assistant Features Editor: Laura Kramer Entertainment Editor: Elissa Kroeger Assistant Entertainment Editor: Matthew Walters Opinion Editor: Nikki Thomas PLPulse Editor-in-Chief Sarah Book PLPulse Assistant Editors: Angela Bober & David Chavarria Webmaster: Michael Swanger Staff: Joshua Acton Melanie Amweg Brandon Arkfeld Camryn Bowers Hannah Cahill CJ Curry Emma Dargy Christina Fisher Jonathan Greenfield Brena Groeper Cameron Houser Trevor Jurjevich Brittany Kellner Lindsey Lafond Sam Laughlin Nicole Ludden Hailey McGuire Jordan Murphy Dylan Nicholson Abby Petersen Jaylen Ricks Ally Sargus Will Synowiecki Kerri Wachholtz Ethan Wolbach The Scepter is a school-sponsored publication of Papillion-La Vista High School, 402 E. Centennial Rd. Papillion, NE 68046. The Scepter’s office is located in room 307. The Scepter is printed by aPrintis. The Scepter is a member of the Nebraska High School Press Association. The Scepter is a school-sponsored publication and therefore recognizes its responsibility to stay within the boundaries that the school administration sets. The Scepter will therefore inform its readers using a high standard of morals and ethics. The Scepter encourages readers to respond in the form of letters to the editor, which can be sent to room 307. The Scepter’s editorial staff reserves the right to edit the letters for grammatical errors and to remove any profanity. The editors also reserve the right to exclude letters that are false in their statements or accusations. The Scepter will not accept advertisements that promote activities illegal to minors. Advertising rates are available upon request.

Twice eciwT the eht

Advice ecivdA The editors share their advice on how to get the best experience out of high school. BY ALLY FRAZEE

High school is where you find yourself. Cliché right? Maybe not. “We’re preparing you for high school” is something that has been hammered into our heads since elementary school. But what if we’ve been looking at it all wrong? Maybe the important part isn’t so much preparing for high school itself, but for what you get out of it. Whether you’re a freshmen and you have three years left, or a senior on the sixmonth countdown, these four years are what shape you into the person you are. The amount of likes on that selfie you posted doesn’t define you. Neither does how you dress to sit through seven hours of school. It’s okay to get stressed out and cry and fight with your parents or your best friends. It’s even okay to think you’ve had enough. Just remember, as Charles Bukowski once said, “Sometimes you climb out of bed in the morning and you think, ‘I’m not going to make it,’ but you laugh inside — remembering all the times you’ve felt that way” and you keep going. Don’t take high school for granted. These really can be the best years of your life if you let them.

BY EMMA QUAST

Get involved. How many times have you been told this either by your parents, peers, teachers or coaches? As obnoxious as it may be to hear this over and over again, it is so true. In order to make the most of your high school experience you need to find a way to engage yourself in some kind of extracurricular activity. Thankfully, we have many different options available to you. There are a large variety of different sports. If you aren’t interested in playing sports, it is strongly encouraged that you show your support at games. In addition to this, there are a ton of different clubs that you can be a part of. PLHS offers a wide variety of activities for you in hopes that you will find one that interests you. In becoming involved in different activities, you are able to make friends with similar interests. If there is a club or organization that you think the school needs, you can find an administrator to sponsor you and create the club yourself. As annoying as it is to be told to get involved, it is some of the best advice you will receive throughout your four years of high school. NOVEMBER 2014

THE SCEPTER

BY NICOLE LUDDEN

We’ve all been there. Sprawled out on your bedroom floor amongst piles of paper and mockingly packed textbooks. Heavy bags under your eyes, a million thoughts forcing themselves into the receding depths of your memory, and the nagging reminder that you’ll probably be too tired to manage a decent grade tomorrow anyway. Many students feel the pressure of maintaining good grades in high school in order to set the foundation for a solid future. Some are caving in under 4

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the pressure this can apply, and some, have already collapsed. The issues of anxiety in school easily catch up to students; however, they can be managed. “I’ve come to the point where I’m so stressed out in school, that I’ve lost the energy to keep trying,” sophomore Lauren Pelzer said. Pelzer takes mostly honors classes, and has no extracurricular activities. Although she has no clubs or sports to worry about, Pelzer does prioritize her health by going to the gym every day. Even

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with the lack of extracurricular activities in her schedule, she still finds herself overwhelmed by the stress of school alone. “I don’t get very much sleep in order to stay caught up,” Pelzer said. “I feel like I need to do other things like go to the gym or listen to music because schoolwork makes me so unhappy, which is why I have a lack of time to fit everything in.” Pelzer believes that teachers not only apply too much pressure, but that they can be inconsiderate when reasoning

to why one’s work is not up to standards. “Teachers never really know what’s going on in their students’ lives,” Pelzer said. “When someone’s doing badly in school, you don’t know what they could be going through. They could be depressed, they could have just broken up with their boyfriend, and you just don’t know what could’ve happened and why they’re not prepared for that test.” Despite the many stresses present in Pelzer’s school life, she believes many stresses can be managed by a simple change of attitude by less pressure being put on students overall. “Students shouldn’t make other students feel bad for getting a C, and you shouldn’t feel bad yourself for not having straight A’s,” Pelzer said. “There’s nothing wrong with getting a C if you tried your hardest.” Junior Tanner Eggers takes all the honors and AP classes possible in his schedule. On top of this, he participates in the varsity show choir Free Spirit, baseball and Boy Scouts. Some anxiety is almost inevitable with all of these pressures, but Eggers has found a way to manage it. “I manage my stress by using my weekends to do some homework ahead of time and just trying to take everything one chunk at a time,” Eggers said. Few students don’t get stressed out, but all can alleviate at least a few stresses by simply managing their time. “I always find time to relax, because I’ve learned you freak out a lot when you don’t,” Eggers said. “I take it one piece at a time.” As a school counselor, Mrs. Lynda Molyneaux knows

that stress is a part of student life. She believes that through time management, and even taking the time to sit down and talk to someone when overwhelmed, the stress can be handled. “Everyone handles school differently; some kids even perform better when they don’t have free time,” Molyneaux said. “Some kids work better when they’re stressed, and some need to balance work over time.”

Molyneaux ultimately believes the anxiety school can cause is a side-effect to the hard work that comes with high school. However, she believes, the work will pay off and is worth it in the long run. “Students need to understand that this is their last shot at free education, regardless of what they plan to do after high school,” Molyneaux said.

Stress Management Tips Manage Your Time Use your planner! Whether it’s a classic school distributed one, or a frilly planner from Target; seeing your life planned out on paper makes all the difference.

Don’t Overschedule You know yourself. When signing up for classes at the beginning of the year, don’t take on more than you can handle physically and mentally.

Just Breathe When feeling overwhelmed, the simple act of taking a second to stop and breathe can help you to relax. Sophomore Hope McCartney takes a minute to relax in advisement.

NOVEMBER 2014

THE SCEPTER

Behind Closed Doors One student shares her story in hopes of bringing light to others. BY NIKKI THOMAS

Everyone walks through storms in his or her life. Some people are lucky enough to carry an umbrella, while some only rely on the clothes on their back. As people get older, they start to understand the concept of abuse: a storm many unfortunate people have to walk through. Whether it is a romantic relationship or a parent-child relationship, it takes a toll on the people involved. It is common for teenagers to fight with their parents. In fact, it would probably be abnormal if they didn’t. They probably fight about grades or the type of crowd the teenager is hanging around. For some people, the fights are a little more severe. Unfortunately, cases in which parents abuse their children are not uncommon. Even some fellow students have been victims. Mary Smith (fake name to keep her identity anonymous) has been mentally and physically abused by her parents since she was very 6

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young.

“When I was 5 years old my mother had a miscarriage, which drove her to insanity,” Smith said. Smith’s mother was driven even further into instability because her husband had stopped loving her, eventually leading to a divorce. “He [the father] just kind of drifted away from humanity as well,” Smith said. After the miscarriage, Smith was molested by her mother when she was only five years old. “I thought it was a right of passage sort of thing; I didn’t know anything about abuse,” Smith said. “That’s usually something that parents are supposed to teach their kids.” As time went on, things started to get worse for Smith and her family. When she was around 7 years old, her mother would randomly start to choke and beat her until she became unconscious. “I would tell her I was hungry and ask her to make me A&E

PERSPECTIVE

some food,” Smith said. “I was still a kid I didn’t know how to take care of myself. She would get angry and begin to choke me.” Despite of all these events, Smith’s father remained estranged to the family. “He’s never really been able to protect me. He always said that he would but would then make excuses as to why he couldn’t,” Smith said. Smith adopted ways to cope with her parents’ inappropriate behavior. “I play music and I write stories,” Smith said. “I just try to be around other people and improve myself as a person.” More recently, Smith’s mother has been striving to better herself as well. “She’s trying. She’s definitely gotten better since the divorce,” Smith said. “As for my dad, he has just become a very bitter person, and he likes to stay away from people so he hasn’t really gotten better.”

Approximately children die every day because of child abuse.

1 in 10

high school students are physically abused by a 68% of child abuse victims boyfriend/girlfriend. are abused by a family

Nearly 1.5 million high member. 1 in 3 adolescents in the U.S. school students experience is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional or verbal physical abuse from a dating abuse from a dating partner. partner every year. Although some people might dwell in the dark over these events, Smith keeps her chin high. “I feel like everyone goes through some sort of struggle in their life. Everyone has their breaking point and this just happened to be mine,” Smith said. As any other strongminded person would do so, Smith has become a positive influence to make up for her parents’ negative influence. “I wouldn’t take anything back because I learned to be independent,” Smith said. “I’m a very strong person because of it and I wouldn’t take back anything that happened because I don’t know how I would turn out otherwise.” Smith shines a light on her fellow peers by being as positive as she can despite everything she has been through in the past. Parent-child abuse is very horrific, but it is not the only type of case where abuse plays a part. Some romantic relationships are very abusive mentally and physically. PLHS psychologist Ms. Vern Davis defines an abusive relationship as “a relationship in which the give and take is not mutual.” Romantic relationships

that are abusive tend to operate in a cycle. They start out in the “honeymoon phase” where they seem to be happy, but then an event occurs where the abuse, whether it is physical or mental, is triggered. This then brings the fear and anger in the relationship. Soon the abuser will give excuses to the victim and explain how sorry they are, then returning back into that “honeymoon phase.” Sometimes the victims involved in the relationship are oblivious to the abuse they are receiving. “Since they go back to that ‘honeymoon phase’ after something happens the victim could deny that the abuser is actually hurting them in any way,” Davis said. Although it may be tough to see what is happening behind closed doors, there are ways to tell if someone may or may not be in an abusive relationship. “The victim could have a change in attitude, start to become distant from family and friends and might just have an overall change in their demeanor,” counselor Mrs. Sheryl Vansteenbergen said. Vansteenbergen holds presentations to students, educating them about abusive

http://www.loveisrespect.org/is-this-abuse/dating-violence-statistics

3.6 Million

cases of child abuse are reported every year in the U.S.

relationships. “Some students end up in relationships that turn out to be controlling,” Vansteenbergen said. “It’s important that students learn and understand what constitutes an abusive relationship.” Someone stuck in this situation can take some effective steps. “When someone is in a position where they are getting hurt, mentally or physically, I talk to them about some action steps they can take,” Davis said. “I then refer the student to outside sources that can help them on a regular basis.” Reaching out to someone while in a relationship like this could be one of the most difficult things to do, but also one of the most important. “Support is one of the hardest things to find while in a situation like this,” Davis said. “So it’s important that the victim is able to reach out and gain that support.” Abusive relationships are a very traumatic event that people go through in their life. Important things to remember are it is never the victim’s fault, get help as soon as possible, and if you are in this situation, you are not alone.

NOVEMBER 2014

THE SCEPTER

VIOLENCE IS NOT THE ANSWER One moment changes the entire tone of the room. One student approaches another and the fight begins. From that moment, anything can happen. In 2011, a survey conducted by the CDC found that 12% of the students reported being in a physical fight on school property in the last year and 5.9% of those did not attend school after the fight because they felt unsafe at school. Over time, the amount of students participating in fights has increased. Just like at most high schools in the United States, fighting is a part of the daily environment at PLHS. Even though the occurrence of fights happening is uncontrollable and unchangeable, the way administration and even law enforcement handles them is not. In Sept. 2014, a student at Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa died from injuries that he endured from a school fight between himself and another student. The tragic event was a result of an unnecessary physical altercation that could have been handled through verbal communication. It was an eye opener to many students and educators that fighting needs to stop. Freshman Johnathan Vannornam believes fighting is something that happens and is 8

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Simple disagreements have grown into physical brawls. BY CJ CURRY

unpreventable. “If it does happen, action should be taken against the people who fight. It needs to stop,” Vannornam said. School Counselor Sheryl VanSteenbergen has discovered in her experience as a counselor that fights occur for a range of reasons. “Fights happen because of relationships, stealing and illegal substances,” VanSteenbergen said. Although fights that happen on school property are the schools responsibility to handle, it is still against the law. School Resource Officer Scott Giles believes the procedure that the school follows in punishing school fights is fair and effective. “First, the school does an

investigation, then after that the ball is in my court, and at that point, each student is charged with third degree assault,” Giles said. Violence is not always the answer to a disagreement, fights can be prevented. Sophomore Ambi AnuhNdumu believes that arguments and disagreements can be resolved in other ways. “People should take out their anger without using their fists and not take it too far,” AnuhNdumu said. No matter what your personal opinion on fighting is, remember one thing: a student from Abraham Lincoln High School is now dead because of a fight he participated in. In fixing issues, violence is not the answer.

12%

Percents of students have of Students been in a physical fight. Who Have 20% of Been Impacted students reported 5.9% reported that they being bullied on by School school property. did not go to school because they felt unsafe due to fighting Violence

7.4% of students

or bullying.

threatened with weapons. Information from cdc.gov/violenceprevention A&E

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SPOTTED on the field Freshman Clayton Ott shares his experiences being the only man on color guard. BY CLAIRE HORNER

Ott faced when beginning was going into it without any dance or gymnastics skills. “The hardest thing is applying the choreography because it’s tricky at some points,” Ott said. Ott’s most enjoyable aspect of being in color guard is the “experience.” “The experiences are going out to competitions, the friendliness and just being a part of something,” Ott said. As a freshman that is entering high school with an immense amount of other people, Ott was not afraid to join something that consisted of only girls. “It’s not weird because I have persuaded a couple of other guys to join next year, and they

What are the challenges of having a boy in color guard?

“

It’s hard making feminine or graceful moves become masculine. He has to work a little harder.

SENIOR CO-CAPTAIN MACKENZIE JUNG

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seem interested,” Ott said. Ott has received cheerful vibes from classmates from him being in color guard. “The seniors have been quite enthusiastic about it, I’ve heard,” Ott said. His love for “different” activities all started from being bullied in the past. “Being worried about it everyday just gets in the way of doing other things,” Ott said. “I’ve just decided to not let it bother me.” “Just because it’s a stereotypical female or male sport, it doesn’t matter. If you like and enjoy it, you can do it,” Ott said. Ott performs to Prefectus Bellator at the halftime shows at the Varsity football games in the pictures above. PHOTOS: KYLIE LIPPINCOTT AND ASHTEN ARKFELD

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Sparkly costumes, makeup and hair spray are what all members of color guard wear except for one. Stereotyped male and female high school sports can hold a person back from expressing his or her interest and passion. But there is not a rule that the opposite gender cannot do it so one student went for it. Freshman Clayton Ott is the only male on color guard and he loves it. “I was in band when I heard about it, and at lunch, they had a table set up. There were little papers that introduced the idea of it [color guard],” Ott said. “I talked to one girl who was joining and she kind of persuaded me into doing it.” The biggest challenge

It was hard to make him not use his hips. We had to tweak him a bit, but he’s a really hard worker and a quick learner.

SENIOR CO-CAPTAIN SHAYLA NICHOLSON

NOVEMBER 2014

THE SCEPTER

Children in foster care, adoption redefine ‘family’

Junior Grace Chambers and her foster siblings at the Amazing Pizza Machine.

Some children can’t be cared for, some have no family and others aren’t wanted. Who cares for these children, and what happens to them?

PHOTOS: GRACE CHAMBERS

BY JAYLEN RICKS Junior Samuel Johnson wakes up and has a bowl of cereal. He gives his mom a kiss, says goodbye to his dad and heads to school. After school, he comes home and finishes up some homework. He works on some artwork and shows his dad. He says good night to his parents, goes to bed, an end to a normal day. But the people he calls his parents, are not his biological parents. “I was adopted because my birth mother couldn’t take care of me, so my mother that adopted me was a foster parent and fell in love with me when she was taking care of me,” Johnson said. Because raising a child can be financially stressful, the foster system helps out financially. “The foster system pays our family to provide for them and make sure they have everything they need,” junior Grace Chambers said. Families can foster as many kids as they are willing to. “We have one we are taking care of right now, but over the past ten years, we have fostered around 14,” Chambers

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said. At one time, Chambers had four foster kids living with her. With so many kids under one roof, it can be a handful, and the foster child has to get used to a new environment. “It’s really hectic when they’re first adjusting because they don’t know who you are or where they are, but it’s also really fun,” Chambers said. It’s not only the parents who are involved with taking care of the children; the whole family supports them. “It takes a big toll on your family. Families that are stable, genuine, and have lots of time should do it,” Chambers said. Foster parents can also adopt the child they were fostering if they are really interested in him or her. “You can adopt foster children when they have no other family or there is no way that they’d go back to live with their original family,” Chambers said. “The parents can still be involved and visit with the kids if they are adopted.” The real parent or the foster system will sometimes set

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up a stipulation setting the time when the child can come see them. “I don’t know who my real parents are, and I can’t meet them until I’m in my twenties,” Johnson said. “I think the system set it up, but I’m not sure why.” Adopting and fostering a child can change his or her life, and it makes a huge impact on the foster family as well. “If I wasn’t adopted, I probably wouldn’t be living a good life,” Johnson said. Adoption and foster care is essential in taking care of those in need. These families give much of their free time to help the children who don’t have as much as they do.

Chambers and her foster sibling, Denisha, last summer.

BREAKING RECORDS,

BREAKING LEGS “My grades suffer because I’m always gone during the day for golf tournaments, then I have rehearsal for show choir,” Siggers said. “I end up not getting home until late in the evening, which leaves almost no time for homework.” Another obstacle these students face is when their activities overlap. This affects their schedule even more, making it twice as difficult to manage their time. “Tennis conflicts with the play in the fall, and golf kind of conflicts with the play pro show in the spring,” senior Daniel Erickson said. Even though these students believe it is hard to balance their time between sports and fine arts, they continue to do it because they love it. Their passion for playing and performing help them overcome the struggles they face.

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What is your “Secret”

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to success?

I work hard and stay organized. I also try to get things done at school so I don’t have to take it home. Daniel Erickson

Senior Daniel Erickson spends his time on stage and on the court. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: CAMRYN BOWERS

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The applause is deafening. Everyone is on their feet, causing an enormous uproar. All eyes are focused on one thing, one thing that requires hard work and determination to be successful. Is this a crowd for a game, or an audience for a show? Most students are unaware of the similarities between practice and rehearsal. According to stereotypical high school groups, students can only be involved in one activity. In today’s society, students are daring to be different and participate in two of the most contrasting activities: sports and fine arts. Being immersed in both sports and fine arts cause these teenagers a great amount of stress. Their schedules become extremely busy when trying to balance their time. “I have golf every day after school, and on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays I have show choir,” senior Anna Siggers said. “When golf season ends, rehearsals for the fall play begin every day after school too.” Due to their lack of free time, these students have to work extra hard to keep their grades up.

“

BY ALLY SARGUS

From playing to performing, students balance their time between sports and fine arts.

Even if it means losing sleep or having my grades suffer, I try my hardest in everything I do.

Anna Siggers

NOVEMBER 2014

THE SCEPTER 11

rubbing

the pain away

Art students at PLHS take on the challenge of using their talents to ease the pain for patients and their families. BY LAURA KRAMER

t’s like a scene in a movie. The family of a loved one all huddled around the bed, hoping it’s all just a dream. Then the line on the screen goes flat and reality hits. Tears are shed, arms are embraced, and in desperation, the family looks for whatever they have left of the loved one they have just lost. Art club students have made it their responsibility to supply those in a time of grief with a little piece of shared memory. The students have created rubbing stones: fire-based clay fired in the kiln and glazed on the top to create a slick finish. They are probably one of the first products that these students do not want back. When organ donors are on their death bed, they are handed stones to rub with their fingers. After the donors have passed, the stones they had been rubbing are passed out to family members. The family members keep the stone in rememberance of the thoughtul nature of the donor. Students were a little curious at first, but grew fond of the idea after a bit. “I thought it was really odd when I first heard about it, but once Mrs. Leif described it to me, I thought it was pretty cool and thoughtful,” junior Emily Kisicki-Lowther said. 12

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A lot of mixed emotions arose from this project. “When I explained it to the kids what we were going to do, we were all kind of taken back. It’s kind of a sad thing to be making, thinking that they’re all going to be used. It hasn’t been three weeks and we’ve given them 120 stones and they’re out of them,” Leif said. Patients, family members and doctors at Nebraska Organ Recovery are beyond grateful for what the school has done for them. “The thumbstones are beautiful! They will bring comfort to our donor families at the worst time in their lives. You have made a difference!” a Nebraska Organ Recovery employee wrote in a letter to Leif. Although it’s a sad cause, the students are proud to be doing what they can to contribute to the society.

Juniors Jordan Schuette, Michael Bosiljevac, Patrick Mahoney and Rosie Nguyen create rubbing stones in Pottery I just like Art club did earlier this year.

PHOTOS: LAURA KRAMER

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NOVEMBER 2014

THE SCEPTER 13

FROM THE

WAKE OF

WAR

Sudanese seniors Duol Gatluak and Muoch Muon have come to America from a land of constant turmoil. BY JOHN NELSON

Refugees, Sudanese women and children that had fled the Sudan war, had been contained in Ethiopia. In fleeing the war, some had to walk for many miles to get to a refugee camp. This is where seniors Duol Gatluak and Muoch Muons’ stories develop. They are two PLHS students, originally born in a region of much torrent. Gatluak and Muon had come from this fighting, fleeing the war to have a better life in America. Gatluak’s family came to the United States in May 2000. They first lived in California and Texas before coming to Nebraska in 2003. Muon came from a refugee camp in Dimma. He remembers fishing in a river near him and practicing his faith, Christianity. 14

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“[South Sudanese] were all about the community...church,” Muon said. Duol Gatluak came from a refugee camp in Ethiopia. According to him, Sudan is constantly hot, even at night. During the war, his family began the journey over to a refugee camp in Ethiopia. They walked “miles and miles” guided by their father, David Gatkal Wuol. Wuol had fought for the south in the war. When the family reached Dimma, Wuol was the leader of the refugee camp. Many similar Sudanese were there, all fleeing the war. While in the refugee camp, Gatluak’s family had to walk miles away to retrieve water. The family lived in a hut, and their food consisted of rice and a soup made out of goat meat. Other families in the camp consisted mostly of mothers and children, since any men had stayed behind to fight in the war. Many of Gatluak’s siblings and relatives died from illness, including his sister named Nywarga. Gatluak had caught illness as well, but he was “lucky to be alive” after taken to the doctor. A&E

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“Because the war happened, I came to America to go to school and get another life,” Gatluak said. Gatluak and his father plan on returning to Sudan next summer. Muon came from a refugee camp in Dimma. He remembers fishing in a river near him and practicing his faith, Christianity. “[South Sudanese] were all about the community...church,” Muon said. When coming to America, Muon’s family stayed in New York. “We came to Nebraska [instead] because we knew there were more Sudanese here,” Muon said.“It was sad...It was different to me because I wasn’t around any Sudanese.” Their appreciation for their new lives have grown on them over the years. No longer do Gatluak and Muon’s families have to walk miles for water and education or go without food throughout the day. Above: Muon’s family and relatives in the refugee camp in Dimma, Ethiopia.

PHOTOS: MUOCH MUON

“Sorry, I have practice” Being a high school athlete has its own perks, but there is a side that most people don’t even think about—the long days in and out of school. Many students these days find themselves with a schedule filled with practices or games, schoolwork, and even a job on top of all that during the week. This full workload is appearing to become a little too much for some high school students. “I am always busy no matter what season it is because there’s practice in-season and lifting out-of-season,” senior tennis and baseball player Garrett Graveline said. Practices are different for each team. They can range from 5:30 or 6:00 in the morning, all the way to nearly 8:00 or 9:00 at night. The number and length of these practices are proving to be very exhausting for athletes, since they are not the only part of their day. “Some things that make me tired are waking up early for school, having practice after school, and then doing homework on top of that,” senior basketball player Ethan Bohn said.

So even though practice is a big aspect of being perfect, maintaining good grades is another one. With busy days comes very little time to complete homework, out-of-school studying, and projects that must be done to keep an acceptable grade. “It’s hard to study for tests and do homework when I have a game or meet the night before,” senior basketball player and track runner Brooke Hubert said. “I am only focused on that sport and then I also have to focus on school after I get done.” Finding a solution that will satisfy everyone is not possible, but there are some suggestions that would take some stress off high school students. “I think [coaches] should shorten practice times a little bit,” Bohn said. Some athletes take a different stance than others when it comes to how they believe the busy schedules should be handled. “I don’t think there is a solution [to busy days],” Graveline said. “When it comes to being a student athlete, you are accepting that you will be dedicating most of

Katie Stephens (Junior)

Ethan Bohn (Senior)

Sports played: Volleyball and Track Clubs: DECA, PL Club, Student Ambassador

Sport played: Basketball Club: DECA

Student athletes reveal the difficulties they face with busy schedules. BY TREVOR JURJEVICH your time to that sport.” Not only are athletes buried in homework, but they are also involved in activities and clubs outside of school. Junior volleyball and track player Katie Stephens mentioned how she “doesn’t really have much free time” when afternoon practices are thrown in the mix with out-of-school activities such as DECA and the PL Club. Even though these things seem to make playing a sport a horrible thing, they also bring a sort of advantage that a nonathlete can’t say about him or herself. “Something I can say is that through sports I’ve learned discipline, a good work ethic, and I can now easily take criticism,” Stephens said. Whether it is the three hour-long practices, or the countless hours of homework on top of that, high school athletes can learn a valuable lesson. Competing in a sport can be a drag sometimes, but these kids are able to make all these practices and games the highlight of their day.

Brooke Hubert (Senior)

Sports played: Basketball and Track Clubs: DECA, Freshman Survival, FBLA, Senior Committee, NHS, Student Ambassador NOVEMBER 2014

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Big Commitment

Student athletes are looking to further their athletic careers by committing to play sports in college. BY ETHAN WOLBACH

Elena Melendez serves against rival Papio South. Monarchs won the match in three sets. PHOTO: LESLEY ROBLES

her, to stop playing the game she loves is not an option. “I’ve been playing for so long I can’t just see myself stopping because I am in love with the game,” Melendez said. Melendez is proud that she 16

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has been given the opportunity to play volleyball at the collegiate level, but knows she will miss the team she is leaving behind. “I love each and every one of the girls and its hard knowing this is my last season with them,” she said. Senior softball player Jordan Van Roy has also committed to play at the college level, signing to play softball at Doane College in Crete, Neb.

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Many varsity athletes are looking to further their careers in academics as well as in athletics. Not everyone gets a chance to pursue athletics in college, but the few that do plan on taking full advantage of the opportunity. For some high school athletes sports are just a hobby, but for most the sports they play are a large part of who they are as an individual. Senior volleyball player Elena Melendez recently committed to play volleyball for Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. She is one of those athletes who has put countless hours into practice to perfect her game. For

“I’m going to miss playing in front of and with my friends.”

SENIOR TYLER DOUGHERTY

Van Roy plans on majoring in education and felt that Doane was the right fit for her. “I am excited to build new friendships and start a new chapter of my life,” Van Roy said. Van Roy knows the great opportunity that she has worked hard for and is thankful for everything the sport has taught her. “I feel beyond blessed to further my career and continue the game that is a huge part of my life,” Van Roy said. Many athletes make their decision on where they will take their talents to after their season is complete, but not senior A&E

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basketball player Tyler Dougherty. Dougherty has committed to play basketball at Northwest Missouri State alongside his brother, 2013 graduate Brett Dougherty. “I liked the coaches and players. It helps that my brother plays there too,” Dougherty said. There is a nervous feeling for any athlete knowing that they will soon be competing at the collegiate level. But each athlete embraces the opportunity in different ways. “I’m excited about the freedom of college, but I’m going to miss playing in front of and with my friends,” Dougherty said. The high school students who do get the opportunity to play in college plan on taking advantage of the situation. Each and every one of them has worked hard their entire life to reach the goal of calling themselves a college athlete.

Jordan Van Roy waits for the pitch in the Championship game of districts. Monarchs won to advance to the state tournament. PHOTO: NATALIE HORGAN

NON-STOP Athletes explain the difficulties they face when transitioning from a fall to a winter sport. BY HANNAH EDELMAN His alarm goes off at 5:15 a.m. for morning workouts at six. He gets to the school by 5:45 a.m. He laces up his shoes and gets in some early shots. Practice starts around six and ends about 7:30. Now it’s time for school. After school comes another practice. Practice time can range anywhere from one to two and a half hours After practice he heads home to start his homework and eat dinner. He finally goes to bed around 10:30 p.m. This is the daily routine for junior Johnny Zurcher when he is in basketball season, which starts soon after tennis season ends. After a season ends athletes return to the average student’s routine, but a select group of athletes receive no break. These students go from their fall to winter sport with little to no break in between. “It’s hard going straight into basketball season after volleyball season because there is no break. State volleyball ends Saturday November 15, then Sunday club volleyball tryouts start, then Monday is basketball tryouts, so there is no break in between,” senior Priscilla O’Dowd said. Getting homework done without sports after school is difficult, but getting work done while playing a sport is even more difficult. Students find that mustering up the motivation to start their work after they come home is the biggest obstacle they face.

“It’s hard to get school work done when practices run late or when we have games because then I’m just exhausted,” O’Dowd said. Other students believe there is enough time in the day to balance sports and their school obligations. Senior Kyle Emerick goes from football in the fall to wrestling in the winter. “I mean there’s 24 hours in a day and athletics take up at most four of them. I think it’s easy to complain about being too tired to do stuff,” Emerick said. “I think any problem with me comes from social distractions like Twitter and texting then realizing it’s 10:30 before I’m starting to do any work.” Athletes who transition from a fall to winter sport also face

the challenge of getting into shape for a completely different sport. “The hardest transition is getting my shot and ball handling skills back on track,” Zurcher said. Sometimes an athletes fall sport ties in well with his or her winter sport, other times it does not. “At football I’m outside running around, hitting people and yelling a lot. Wrestling, I feel, is more controlled. In my opinion football is a fun game and wrestling is quite a bit harder,” Emerick said. O’Dowd finds playing with her teammates again the easiest part of the transition. “The easiest part is getting back together with all my teammates and playing together again,” she said.

FROM FALL TO WINTER

Senior Priscilla O’Dowd plays varsity volleyball (left) in the fall and varsity basketball (right) in the winter.

PHOTOS: MADDY TEN KLEY & LAUREN MCNEIL

NOVEMBER 2014

THE SCEPTER

PERFECTSEASON EFFORT

Senior leaders guide their team to strive for nothing less than success.

BY KELLEY RYAN

With every serve comes a new opportunity. With every kill there comes a new victim. With every set taken an undefeated record continues to rise. This is Monarch volleyball. In the eyes of an athlete, state is the end goal and ultimate prize. Every game leading up to the tournament decides this fate. “We haven’t won a state championship since 2007-08 and we have a really good chance this year,” senior middle hitter Ashten Arkfeld said. “It’s a big deal to us because we are trying to represent our school as well as we can and work hard every game.” As of press time, their record is 38-0, they hold the No. 1 rank in the state and are 10th in the nation. “We’re very focused on what we want to accomplish and that is to win state,” senior setter 18

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Jessica Peters said. The majority of undefeated teams have an overconfident air to them. “I think what helps us stay on top isn’t all about staying undefeated for us,” senior libero Ellie McDonnell said. “We don’t go into games thinking about our record, we go into games thinking of how we are going to get better to come up on top.” Any undefeated team during the regular season will be number one on every team’s hit list. “Teams are going to give us their 100% every time they play us because they want to beat us,” Peters said. “We’ve shown that we step up to the plate and raise our game to beat them. We don’t just fall down; we keep fighting until the very last point.” Some of the team’s success A&E

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has come directly from skills and accomplishments of their coach. “I think [coach Kristen Lebeda-Svehla] is a great coach and knows what she is talking about, which is great because she’s been where we have been and knows what this team needs to work on and get done,”Peters said. This is a team that wants to play with passion, hope, and desire. Determination radiates from their sweat at physically demanding practices lasting from after school until six o’clock at night. “I think the success we’ve had shows how far we’ve come from last year,” McDonnell said. “We didn’t fight back as much, but now we are always up for the challenge to push harder.”

Each girl is given a string and for each milestone they receive a charm. The girls can turn it in to a bracelet or necklace. Arrow Their theme this year is One Way Together

Celtic Knot For working together at the Lincoln tournament

Monarch Crown First victory at the Bellevue tournament

Boxing Glove When they got knocked down but came back to win in the Westside tournament

DID YOU KNOW? Coach LebedaSvehla’s first love was soccer.

Whenever something is hard in practice they yell out “N 15” meaning November 15th, the last day of state, to remind one another what they are working for and that it will pay off.

When scrimmaging all the starters are on one side and will be set up to lose. They will have rules such as only this person can score or will be losing by a lot and have to make a comeback.

NOVEMBER 2014

Coach LebedaSvehla is in the College of St. Mary Athletic Hall of Fame.

THE SCEPTER 19

Swinging into History

The girls golf team had a record breaking season ending in a runnerup state finish. BY DYLAN NICHOLSON

37 individual medals. Three state medalists. A runner-up finish at the state tournament. 11 individual medals by senior Katie Irvin. It was a record breaking year for the varsity girls golf team as they did all of these things for the first time in school history. The team started the season on fire, winning the first six tournaments of the year. “We were pretty consistent all season as we had four players place in six of the eleven invites,” head coach Joseph Pudenz said. The team’s dedication to be on top what separated this team from others. “The top four players have done a lot of work on their games and have had the mind sets of winners,” Pudenz said. This team knew they were going to be good, and they worked hard to become one of the best teams in the state this year.

Although this season was a great year for the team, there will be a lot to look forward to next year as there are multiple players returning that medalled at state. “I think the team needs to work on constantly shooting in the 80’s or lower next year,” sophomore Spencer Roach said. Although there will be a lot of talent returning next year, they will need to work hard to get back to the level they were this year. “We will need our younger players to take the lead that our veterans provided and work hard on their games,” Pudenz said.

Senior Katie Irvin hits a shot off the fairway at state. She went on to finish with a 178 over two days to finish tied for fifth. PHOTO: MORGAN DAVENPORT

PHOTOS: MADDY TEN KLEY

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The team had a season for the record books, but it didn’t quite end how they wanted it to. They wanted first place at the state tournament. “For us to be close to this year we have a ton of work of work to do,” Pudenz said. “Good news is we have girls willing to put in the work.”

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WHAT CLUBS DO YOU WANT?

BY Sam Laughlin Only a few things in the world can bring similar throngs of people together. Similar interests, sports, activities and hobbies have always sparked a share of opinions. School clubs have a way of uniting people with these shared ideas and cultures, which can provide an outlet for students to express themselves. School-sponsored clubs at PLHS are numerous; however, some students feel that more clubs should be added to satisfy the whole student body. “I’d really like to have a college football club,” junior Jon Soto said. “It would be cool to have something where we could talk about games and everything.” Soto is not the only one

who fancies a mix up of clubs at Papio. “I think we should have a pep club,” sophomore Faith Thompson said. “It could be a club where our student section meets to decide themes and come up with new chants.” Club ideas are numerous, as not all current clubs seem to draw-in every student. Senior Zach Schaewe and Thompson agree that no clubs are intriguing to them. Students are not the only ones involved in clubs. Many teachers are in charge of running the current clubs. Mrs. Jody Krupski, along with being the German teacher, is the advisor for German club. “German club existed before I came here,” Krupski said. “I’ve really enjoyed running it the whole time.” German club, like many clubs before, was not a schoolsponsored club; meaning that

the club was allowed to meet, but was not official in the eyes of administration. “The old teacher ran it,” Krupski said. “But the school didn’t necessarily recognize it as an official club.” Fortunately students do not have to sit and wish upon clubs. If a student would like for a club to be formed, he or she can address administration and go through the process of creating a club. No matter what you are interested in, there are clubs designed for you, and if not, you are always capable of making your own.

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Despite the many clubs offered, students still want more choices.

I’m not in any [clubs] because they don’t interest me.

FAITH THOMPSON

“I think we should have a pep club.”

“A soccer club would be really fun. We could watch matches and talk about teams.”

Sophomore Faith thompson

senior Zach schaewe

“I think a foreign club would be cool. In it we could learn about culutures and languages.”

“I’d really like to see a college football club.”

Freshman Billy broderick

Junior Jon Soto NOVEMBER 2014

THE SCEPTER 21

It’s all in the

To competitive card game players, playing is more than just a game. BY JOSHUA ACTON

Blue Eyes White Dragon, an absolute beast from Yu-Gi-Oh. Pikachu, an adorable little icon from Pokémon. A Guttersnipe, the best friend one can have in a Magic the Gathering goblin deck. To some, that’s complete gibberish; to the ones who do play the card games, it’s a way of life. All card games host their share of anxiety driven, inner-cheek chewin’, white knuckled players. The games are truly an experience all their own. “I just never really grew out of it,” senior Raymond Wright said. “I picked up Yu-Gi-Oh when I turned six and kept on playing throughout the years.” PLHS is home to a massive amount of players. Glance in the cafeteria and Magic players tap mana and block with a 2/3. In the library, Yu-Gi-Oh players summon monsters and attack for game. The band room holds its share,

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too; Pokémon players change out benched Pokémon and complain about those stupid energy cards throughout the afternoon. A picture of a sociallyawkward outcast may surface when imagining a card game player, but card game players can be easily grouped with sports fans. Both show devotion and unbreakable spirit towards their games. Card games can be expensive to get into; a good deck for any of the popular card games has the ability to reach well into the hundreds of dollars. In comparison to paying a near equal amount on a sports package and an equal amount on sports memorabilia, both categories seem to remain on equal ground. “Sure it’s expensive, but that’s the rewarding part of the dueling experience,” Wright said. Money can be made off fantasy football, be it $10 or $100;

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the same can be said when one wins a regional tournament in YuGi-Oh and is awarded a $80 card that the person can sell right back to the card shop. It’s argumentative that these card games are childish, but one can also comment on all the ten-year-olds roaming Call of Duty. Like NASCAR or Football, playing a card game can be extremely rewarding with all of its friendly (or hostile) competition and general pride in a successful victory; the anxiety of almost losing a match and the rush of the plays, too. Get past the technical jargon of ‘tapping’ and ‘overlaying’ and ‘benching’ and an entire world opens up. “It’s what I know and it’s what I do,” sophomore Greyson Erickson said. “Do you really need anything else?”

Shopping Papillion is home to small businesses that offer new and different experiences. BY CHRISTA RAHL

“All Nebraska has is corn and football.” If you have lived in Nebraska for longer than two weeks, you have probably heard this lie before from someone who has never visited. However, this is not true. Papillion, in reality, is home to multiple privately owned businesses such as D-Rocks and Absolutely Her. These businesses are known for being more personal with their customers and visitors tend to have an overall better experience. “The attitude in Absolutely Her is always positive,” senior Nikki Kragt said. “I enjoy shopping there because it seems to be more cheerful than other stores.” The smaller stores are able to offer this type of connection with their customers because the employees have an easier chance to have a conversation with a

Our

Backyard

Local Shops 811 Tara Plaza

147 N Washington St.

446 N Jefferson St.

105 S Washington St.

customer. Small businesses in Papillion allow people like junior Vinnie Hunter to follow in a family member’s footsteps. “I was inspired by my uncle’s talent with guitar,” Hunter said. “I was able to take lessons from D-Rocks with teachers that were fantastic.” Another student, senior Jacob Moore, was also able to follow in his

brothers footsteps. Moore’s brother had been in a band and D-Rocks allowed them to perform. Now Moore is involved with a band that also gives concerts. “D-Rocks has helped our band, Skasquatch, get our name out there,” Moore said. “When the band performs lots of students hear about us and who we are.” They also offer

a new perspective on activities that have otherwise gotten mundane. “When I go to Absolutely Her I find clothing that is not common in the larger stores anymore,” Kragt said. This type of store, a consignment boutique, allows people to bring their clothing to the store to sell and in return they receive part of the profit. “Consignment has a stigma attached to it where buying used clothes is something that just would not be done,” Absolutely Her owner Angie Houloose said. “We created A.H. to give an upscale environment and promote the idea of recycling.” Overall, a wonderful aspect to supporting small businesses is that they “have an investment in the community and the community has an investment in them,” Houloose said.

NOVEMBER 2014

THE SCEPTER 23

Falling for fashion and food With fall here, it is tough to decide what fashion and foods are best. BY Abby Petersen & Hannah Cahill

Ghostbusters Popcorn Ingredients: ~1 stick of butter ~1 cup brown sugar ~2 tablespoons corn syrup ~2 heaping cups mini marshmallows(or 12 big ones) ~1 teaspoon vanilla extract ~6 drops each green and yellow food coloring ~8 cups popped popcorn Directions: Put the butter, brown sugar and corn syrup into a bowl. Heat this mixture in the microwave until the sugar is dissolved (start with 3 min. and stir occasionally). Then add the marshmallows and vanilla extract when the mixture is still warm. Add the food coloring. Put the popcorn in a large sealable bowl. Pour the green mixture over the popcorn and stir until the popcorn is coated. Enjoy!

To Ugg or not to Ugg

Cozy, warm, soft, and comfy describes one of the biggest fall teenage fashion trends adored by many, The UGG boot. These trendy boots do come with 24

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Sophomore Ambi Anuh-Ndumu enjoys a s’mores bar and other foods in a food day. PHOTOS: Hannah Cahill, Abby Petersen & Brena Groeper

rules like, when to wear them and what to wear them with. Even though it seems simple, for fashionistas it can be complicated. “I start wearing UGGS in the fall when it gets cold around late October,” senior Kristen Rule said. Many girls go along with what Rule does, on when they should start wearing these shoes. The boots are a great source to keep feet warm, and cuddly once the weather ACTION

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starts getting chilly. Once the leaves start falling, and the wind starts blowing that is the perfect time to wear UGGS. One great way to wear these boots can be wearing a dressy outfit, and adding the boots to help make the outfit more comfortable. “I think you should wear them with a nicer outfit like jeans, or leggings with a nice shirt,” sophomore Rachele Heaton said. UGGS can either be dressed up, or

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dressed down. Most girls go along with a casual look with these shoes as well. “I usually wear them with leggings,” Rule said. These examples are some of the correct ways to show off these fashionable boots, but there is one wrong way that every girl should know about. “Nobody should wear UGGS with shorts,” Rule said. “It does bother me a lot when they wear shorts with UGGS it does

S’mores Bars

Ingredients: -1/2 cup butter, softened -1/4 cup brown sugar -1/2 cup sugar -1 large egg -1 teaspoon vanilla -1 1/3 cups flour -3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs ~1 teaspoon baking powder ~1/4 teaspoon salt ~2 giant Hershey’s milk chocolate bars (7oz each) Directions: Spray an 8” baking pan with cooking spray. Crush the graham crackers. Then in a large bowl, mix the sugars and butter together. Add the egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, graham cracker crumbs, and salt. Add this mixture to the butter mixture until combined. Divide the dough in half and press one half into the bottom of the pan. Place the chocolate bars on top. Spread the marshmallow cream over the chocolate bars. Roll out the rest of the dough onto 1 or 2 of the Hershey wrappers then place on top of the marshmallow. Bake @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

100% Thumbs up! *out of 26 people

Ingredients: ~A bunch of pretzel sticks ~1 pack of almond bark ~1/2 bag of mini marshmallows Directions: First melt half the almond bark for the amount of time on the package. Then impale a mini marshmallow onto both ends of a pretzel stick. Do this as many times as you want. Lastly, use a fork to dip the pretzels in the almond bark. Let them cool on a piece of parchment.

Skeleton Bones

Rachele’s choice

not look good at all,” Heaton said. That is the biggest what not to do while wearing UGGS. Every girl that wears these kinds of shoes can learn many things from these examples on when to wear UGGS, and how you do and do not wear them. No matter what is worn with UGGS, they are a very popular shoe that will stay around the fashion world for a long time.

Jeans nice shirt Uggs Rachele Heaton NOVEMBER 2014

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Marching

Toward

The band performs at the home varsity football games, both before games and during halftime.

Photos: Kelley Ryan, Kylie Lippincott, & Ashton Arkfeld

Keller Q&A

New

s t h g Hei

Band, Ten, Hut! Forward march into a whole new year with what seems to be an entirely new band. The marching band received their highest scores with their new show, “The Perfect Warrior,” participating in competitions throughout the state, receiving Superior ratings at the NSBA (Nebraska State Bandmasters Association) competition and the Links marching competition in Lincoln. The feedback from both judges and audiences has influenced the band’s overall outcome. “We’ve definitely improved between visuals, drill and marching fundamentals,” sophomore trombonist Trevor Kalal said. Not only did the band witness change in fundamentals, but the show itself has seemed to reach a new type of effect. Instead of the rock roots of the Led Zeppelin show from last year, the band is performing a more dynamic show. “This year we’re doing a dramatic show instead of classic rock, which gives a bigger impact,” senior

The marching band strives for larger goals after a very successful competition season. BY JONATHAN GREENFIELD

clarinetist David Brodersen said. There are many different ways the band has had to take action in order to get to the point they want to be. “Every time we use repetition, we get better and better. Using more musical choices and how we play it helps, too,” Kalal said. Though points are coming in for the band, there are a lot of issues within performances that stop them from reaching first. “We’re pretty bad at making straight lines sometimes. We need to use more dynamics,” Brodersen said. Every individual must improve upon themselves to contribute to the band. “I actually know where I’m going now. I’m better at memorizing drill and music,” Kalal said. It takes motivation to put forth the effort that this year’s show has emitted. “I enjoy playing my instrument, the music we play, and the marching,” Brodersen said. “I love the people here, so that really helps.” Q: What’s your favorite

Q: What instrument Mr. Tim Keller is the food, color, and animal? band director of the game, do you routinely play? A: Chicken Parmesan, concert, jazz and marching A: Trumpet blue, and a bald eagle band. But do we really know the man behind the Q: What are some hobbies of yours? music?

A: Running, Insanity workout, and going to my kid’s swim meets

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Students such as sophomore Evelyn Elya and junior Michael Cargill use unique hair styles and dye to make themselves stand out.

Hairy Business BY BRITTANY KELLNER

It can be red or green, crazy or neat, loved or hated, but everyone knows about it. It’s impossible not to know what hair is since it’s part of everyday life. However hair can also show so much expression. In some occasions it is able to define a decade, such as the Big Hair 80s or even the greasers from the 60s. Today students use hair to show some of their personality but there are a few who go the extra mile with dye and styling. Despite the many reasons for dyeing ones hair, sometimes there is no absolute reason. “I just got tired of my old hair,” sophomore Evelyn Elya said. “My mom bought pink hair dye a long time ago and I don’t know where the black came from.” Most dyes require special

care so that the color does not fade when washed. Dyed hair, if not cared for, can easily fade. To stop this Elya uses a shampoo called Iron in order to maintain the colors she uses. For other students, hair styling is the preferred option. “I didn’t want to cut it and some kids didn’t think I’d keep it the whole summer,” junior Michael Cargill said. Cargill also doesn’t have a hard time keeping up with his hair despite its length. “It’s all natural,” Cargill said. “I just shower and let it go.” There are many reasons students change their hair. Sometimes the only reason is that they do not like how his or her hair looks.

“I don’t like my natural hair, but when it’s straightened, it’s really pretty and soft,” Elya said. Hair can be a way of expressing one’s self in some occasions, such as indifference to what people think about them as well. “I don’t really care what other people think about me,” Cargill said. As defining as hair is, it is the simple choices that make people change it. “I’m unique,” Elya said. “I’m going to do whatever I want with my hair whether people like it or not.”

NOVEMBER 2014

THE SCEPTER

Fictional stories aid people in understanding the difficult world that surrounds them.

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It enabled me to help put my mother’s death in perspective.

BY ELISSA KROEGER & MATT WALTERS

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there are tons of characters and storylines for people to relate to. Readers crave relatability, so it’s no surprise that books of tragedy are so popular. John Green’s “The Fault in Our Stars” tells the kind of story that everyone can empathize with because it focuses on the reality of life and death rather than just fictional characters with an illness. “My mom died from cancer, so I processed that with the story of a child dying,” social studies teacher Mrs. Bre Wilton said. “It enabled me to help put my mother’s death in perspective.” Seeing how characters react to their experiences gives readers something to reflect upon when there is nothing else to lean on. The more people familiarize themselves with a book, the more they understand about life. Even stories geared more toward teens are still capable of being read and impactful to adults. Books are timeless, and therefore are applicable to real life situations. No matter which age group one may belong to, guidance can always be found on a page.

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Live, Learn, Read.

The real world is confusing. It can be hectic and cruel, and simply amazing at the same time. It’s hard to know when life is going to throw a curveball and change everything in a moment. Whether this change is good or bad depends on the perspective of whoever is on the receiving end. The inconsistency of life is forever ongoing, never stopping for a single moment. To overcome bumps in the road, people seek guidance to gain a better understanding of life and their current situation. Sometimes it takes communication with others, and sometimes it takes stories. The best thing about a work of fiction is that its characters can come from all walks of life (such as the characters in J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter”). Each character can represent multiple feelings or just one. “I love how the characters [of “Harry Potter”] have different perspectives on the world,” senior Sarah Vrtiska said. “It guides me to handle different situations.” With a new hit series of books just about every year,

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Mrs. Bre Wilton

What’s your favorite book? Freshman Ellie Morrison’s favorite book is The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart. The book taught her that there are “other things in the world besides me.”

Senior Trevin Sacca is unable to pick a favorite book, but his favorite series is the Inheritance series by Christopher Paolini. He still connects to it because it is about “what it means for a guy to become an adult.”

Junior HuyenYen Hoang’s favorite book is “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” by J.K. Rowling. “It inspired me to go on with my life,” she said.

Senior Rachel Vanness has read so many books that it has become impossible for her to pick a favorite. Reading has taught her to “see things through different perspectives”

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A Feud in the Feed Conflict on social media, especially Twitter, has been a rising trend among celebrities, politicians and high school students. BY WILL SYNOWIECKI

It can start with the quick typing of your own opinion on a controversial topic (such as: Gaza, Israel, President Obama, gay marriage, etc.) and a swift click of the send button. In seconds you have just ignited a “Twitter Time-Bomb.” Soon, you could expect a barrage of hate-filled replies telling you how “ignorant” or how “straight-up wrong” you are. Throw in a few people who agree with you and want to argue back, and eventually you have a full-fledged Twitter brawl on your hands. How to solve this? You can’t. Soon enough

HAPPENINGS

SPOTLIGHT

ACTION

everyone and their mother will be involved, and it can get quite nasty. There are some things one can try to shorten the conflict though, such as ignoring it and encouraging others to do so, and in due time, it will be finished. All of this seems to happen because many of us want to voice our opinions, and find that the easiest way to do so is putting them out on Twitter for the world to see. This usually ends up resulting in an argument that can branch off into even more arguments. The best way to avoid all of this is to really think twice before tweeting something that you think might anger your fellow tweeters. Online, empathy is almost non-existent. Without seeing someone else’s facial expressions, gestures,

A&E

PERSPECTIVE

or verbal sarcasm, it is difficult to conceive what someone is trying to say. One could try to find these things, but in a 140-character tweet, it’s almost impossible. Also, it appears that fights on social media aren’t simply one-onone. Usually, the person starting the fight isn’t thinking about the person he is she going against, but instead of what the other hundreds of people will see. Any problems with individuals can and should be dealt with in the privacy of an e-mail, or something some people like to call, “real life.” The next time you feel strongly about something and think you need to vocalize that, perhaps try something other than dropping a “Twitter Time-Bomb” like taking a few deep breaths and carrying on with life.

THE

LASTWORD

OPINION BY EMMA DARGY

Seeking the answer to the question that most men avoid and some women are too afraid to ask: Why has social equality not yet been achieved?

A Man Should Have Written This Feminist [fe-mƏ-nist] --noun

Apples. I love apples. They’re round, sweet and have that ever so necessary crunch. Dip ‘em in peanut butter and give ‘em to me for lunch. Considering this, was it woman’s desire for that tasty red fruit that linked the chains to all females as slaves to the dominant male race? One bite and all women became secondary to man; the weaker, dumber, inferior sex. We have been there throughout history, doing our duties and putting in the work, receiving no recognition or praise. Cleopatra led Egypt as the last Pharaoh. Joan of Arc restored the king of France to his throne. Emily Dickinson wrote hundreds of brilliant poems. Anne Frank wrote her diary while living in the secrecy of her father’s work’s attic. Rosa Parks refused to get up. Hilary Clinton ran for president. Millions of other women dedicated their lives to the making of a better world and no history book recorded their names. It’s a tough pill for me to swallow. But a man has inherent advantages that set him in front of me. He is paid one dollar for every seventy-seven cents I make. He is more likely to get a flexible work schedule than I am. He has a higher chance of receiving a job in politics than I do. I am a considerably worse driver, and my willingness to ask for directions does not help. I mean, with all of those overwhelming statistics, how could I ever expect to

be equal to a man? He has to be better; otherwise I wouldn’t be getting treated as the weaker sex. “But wait,” say the men, “progress has been made!” And they are right. Laws have been passed, titles have been published, hands have been held, and songs have been sung. However, I finish my schooling and go to get a job and end up receiving less pay than my male coworker. He gets the promotion. I open my mouth to speak about women’s rights and eyes are rolled. They have apparently all heard it before. We lie to ourselves. We do it every day. We tell ourselves that things are fair in order to make sleep come easier at night. We have made enough progress. If we ever worry that things might not be fair, we remind ourselves of how much progress has been made. The lives we women take part in will still turn out okay because we are treated with more equality than our great-grandmothers. We should be grateful. My only question is that how can one be grateful for something that was given to the generations before them. We are born into a seemingly “better” world. The apple may no longer be forbidden, but it hasn’t fallen far from the tree. We don’t see the progress that has been made, but rather the work that must still be accomplished. Because life is still not equal. And that is not acceptable.

A person who advocates for social, political and economic equality for

women

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